What Is A "skimmer Band-Jo?"

[zero]

I'm reading a 1985 publication for the 31st "Annual Midwest Manufactured Housing and RV show." On the back page is an ad for a "Skimmer Band-Jo" made by Engelbert in the USA. It shows number sequences for several tunes e.g. Yankee Doodle, Oh! Susanna, Happy Birthday, etc. But no other explanation and no photo. What the heck is it? I thought maybe a musical horn you could custom program for an RV? But they call it a "Band-Jo." Anybody ever hear of it?

[jjrbus]

This is the only thing that comes up on a search of Skimmer, Band-jo and Englebert?

Skimmer is term used for hat, maybe Englebert made a banjo from one?

[zero]

Beats me. Only thing I found on a Web search was the same thing you did. It's on an electronics page for RVs with no explanation. Seeing how the songs are coded to numbers - looks like for some sort of thing you punch numbers into for different tunes? I'm clueless and the ad seems to assume anyone reading the RV publication will know what it is.

[Back East Don]

I've got a few banjo's and I've even made a few including this Ford.

I searched the trade mark data base and nothing comes up. The hat type comes up and it could be said some banjo's look like the hat but there seems to be no common reference

[snail powered]

seems to me you have enough information to track it down by looking in the patent records for around that time period.

[linda s]

I've got a few banjo's and I've even made a few including this Ford.

I searched the trade mark data base and nothing comes up. The hat type comes up and it could be said some banjo's look like the hat but there seems to be no common reference

You are freaking amazing. This is a very cool banjo

Linda S

[Back East Don]

Thanks Linda

I started with a pretty ordinary hobby, woodworking. I used to make furniture but it just got really expensive. Last piece I made was my desk. I think the wife would have something to say if she knew how much that cherry wood cost.

Self built musical instruments is a growing movement. It is a resurgence of primitive blues instruments that were built with what was at hand. A piece of 2x4, a few bolts, some fence wire and an old pickup and you have a one string diddly bow. Cigar box guitars are becoming common place with even Paul McCartney playing one. A basic one can be built in a day and is little more than a stick and a box.

I am a life long hack guitar player. Turns out I am more skilled at building them along with designing pickups. Life has gotten in the way the last few years and am currently on hiatus but hope to get the shop back up and running. I've got a builders blog and galleries at littleboxguitars.com

There is a lot cooler stuff out there than mine. Google cigar box nation. I look for stuff that has a unique tone. That hubcap is thin spun metal made the exact same way as a resonator on a dobro. When played with a slide it has a bit of that sound. When finger picked it sounds more like a banjo. I specialize in short scale tenor instruments.